Receptacle and closure therefor



Dec. 8, 1936.

' A. 1.; MEROLLE RECEPTACLE AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Aug. 28, 1934 INVENTOR Jzzgms'Zzz [.MemZZe.

l:|= miu m I ATTORNE Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECEPTACLE AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Application August 28, 1934, Serial No. 141,809

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a receptacle and to a closure therefor of the two-piece type made up of a shell member having a separately formed cap interiorly thereof formed to have holding connection with the receptacle.

An object of the invention is to provide a receptacle and a closure therefor, said receptacle and closure having improved features co-operaive between them to facilitate the easy application and removal of the closure particularly during re-use of the closure, and also to make the clo sure highly efiicient and attractive in use.

A further object is to so construct the closure as to include an improved simple and emcient means to hold the shell and cap members thereof assembled in non-rotative relation to each other.

A further object is to so construct the closure as to include a suitably formed part intermediate its height and at a point below the receptacle holding means of the inner cap adapted to be engaged by a pressure applying tool when the closure is being initially applied onto the receptacle, together with a lower annular portion to be moved into holding engagement with the receptacle while the pressure is maintained.

A further object is to so construct the closure that the outer or cap member thereof will have a direct but yielding engagement with the receptacle, and so that the inner or cap member will have a connection with the shell member and with the receptacle sufficiently strong so: that movement of the cap member relative to the receptacle to move it from the receptacle will cause the shell member to release its hold upon the receptacle for removal with the cap member.

A further object is to make the connection between the cap and shell members of such form that the two members will be positively connected together for movement as one during both the application and removal of the closure, and particularly so that the portion of the shell member which yieldingly engages the receptacle will be moved into yieldable engagement with the receptacle by force derived from the cap member when the cap member is being attached onto the receptacle during re-use.

A further object is to so construct the closure that the portion of the shell member which has direct engagement with the receptacle may be released from the receptacle at the will of the user.

A further object is to provide a. closure including a shell member and a cap member, the cap member being nested deep within the shell member so that an annular skirt of the shell member depends below the lowermost edge of the cap member, and to provide efiicientmeans fixing the shell and cap members together in immovable relation to each other.

A further object is to provide an improved method by which to immovably fix together the skirt portions of the shell and cap members.

A further object is to provide a closure including a shell member and a cap member nested together and to so construct and co-relate said members that they will be permanently connected against separation and against inter-rotation and so that each thereof shall have independent holding engagement with the receptacle.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which is tobe taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a receptacle closure constructed-in accordance with this invention and showing the same as it appears in position upon a receptacle constructed to receive it, a portion of said figure being broken away and shown in vertical section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the shell member employed.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the cap member employed.

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary horizontal sectional views taken upon the planes of lines IV-IV and V-V respectively of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 1

but illustrating a modification of the skirt porreference character L indicates the inner or cap member, while the reference character G indicates the outer or shell member. 7

The receptacle is indicated generally by the reference character H and includes an upper portion formed exteriorly with threads or the like as I thereon. Just below the threads 5 is provided an upwardly and outwardly facing inclined annular shoulder 2 and below said shoulder the receptacle flares outwardly to a slight degree providing a downwardly and outwardly flaring conical surface 3 terminating at its lower end in a downwardly facing shoulder l.

The upper or smaller end of the conical surface 3 begins substantially at the greatest diameter of the shoulder 2 which is itself of greater diameter than the greatest diameter of the threads I for a purpose which will be presently referred to.

An annular rib 5 may be provided upon the receptacle spaced slightly below the shoulder 41 as illustrated, if desired, for the better protection of said shoulder and of the closure part which engages said shoulder.

The cap member L is made of thin sheet material, such as sheet metal, and is formed with a top wall 6 for overlying the receptacle opening and a marginal annular side wall or skirt 1 for overhanging the annular surface of the receptacle in the usual manner. The skirt 1 is suitably shaped, as for instance by having threads as 8 pressed therein, to releasably engage co-operative formations, such as the threads l, upon the outer surface of the receptacle.

Just below the thread portion 8 the cap member is flared downwardly and outwardly as at 9 thereby providing an inwardly and downwardly facing inclined annular shoulder 9 and an out wardly and upwardly facing annular shoulder 9 The shoulder 9 is in a position such that when the closure is screwed home upon the receptacle said shoulder 9 will rest in firm engagement against the shoulder 2, the mating inclination of the shoulders 8 and 2 being co-operative to provide for a slightly indefinite point of final stoppage of downward movement of the closure, such as is desirable to compensate for inaccuracies in manufacture of different parts of the closure and receptacle. The elasticity of the metal of the closure will permit of slight expansion of the closure in the region of the engaging shoulders due to the sliding cam action of the shoulders against each other when excessive pressure is applied to move the closure downwardly.

The inclined relationship of the shoulders 2 and 9 also produces a desirable centering influence upon the closure with respect to the receptacle when the closure is forced home to sealing position against the upper edge of the receptacle and thus insures an attractive concentric co-axial relationship between the closure and receptacle at this time.

Below the portion '9 the material of the cap member is pressed outwardly to provide an outstanding annular rib i0 thereon which is substantially semi-circular in cross section and which has one or more outstanding lugs H provided thereon spaced apart circumferentially thereof. The lugs H may be of any shape but are preferably formed by pressing out spaced portions of the material of the rib ll) beyond the normal outer surface of said rib. In the instance illustrated they are in the form of vertically disposed semi-circular corrugations of the material of said rib, but it will be understood that this is optional.

The shell member G is made up of thin sheet material, such as sheet metal, and is formed with a top wall 12 and a marginal annular side wall or skirt [3 for closely receiving the cap member in nested relation.

The top wall l2 may be such as to entirely cover the top wall of the cap member or it may consist of an inturnecl annular flange portion to engage over the marginal portion only of the top wall of the cap member as illustrated, if preferred.

At a point intermediate its height the skirt l3, as at I4, is flared downwardly and outwardly similar to the portion 9 of the cap member thereby providing an inwardly and downwardly facing inclined annular shoulder M and an outwardly and upwardly facing annular shoulder or ledge The shoulder M is in a position such that when the cap member is nested within the shell member said shoulder Id rests in firm engagement against the shoulder 9 of the cap member. Here again the mating inclination of the shoulders I4 and 9 and their consequent possible sliding cam action with respect to each other, will be co-operative to provide for a slight indefinite point of final stoppage of upward movement of the cap member into the shell member to compensate for inaccuracies of manufacture of the parts, it being understood that in the finished closure these shoulders rest together while at the same time the top wall parts of the cap and shell members preferably also rest together.

The flared portion M of the shell member constitutes the upper portion of an outwardly pressed annular rib l5 which is substantially semi-circular in cross section and which has one or more inwardly opening seats it: provided spaced apart circumferentially interiorly thereof each snugly receiving one of the lugs H of the cap member and co-operative therewith to positively lock the cap and shell members against possibility of rotary movement with respect to each other.

The shape and size of the rib I5 is such that its inner surface provides an annular seat closely fitting to the contour of the rib it of the cap member.

The relatively inwardly projecting lower portion of the rib l5 provides an upwardly facing annular shoulder I l which engages the relatively downwardly facing shoulder surface 18 of the inwardly projecting lower annular portion of the cap member, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, and holds the cap member locked against downward movement out of its nested relation within the shell member.

Engagement of shoulder M against the shoulder 9 of the cap member prevents movement of the cap member upwardly within the shell member, while engagement of the shoulder ll against shoulder l8 of the cap member prevents movement of the cap member downwardly of the shell member, and this, in concert with the nonrotary engagement between lugs l l and seats 5, constitutes means to positively lock the two elements against movement with respect to each other either rotatively or longitudinally.

At the lower margin of the rib I5 the skirt of the shell, as at l9 Fig. 1, is of an interior diameter to rest lightly against the upper smaller end of the conical surface 3 of the receptacle, being therefore of slightly greater diameter than the smallest diameter of the shoulder portion M of the shell member, and below the rib IS the skirt is flared downwardly and outwardly in conical contour to fit smoothly against the conical surface of the receptacle.

At its lower margin the skirt i3 is turned inwardly beneath the shoulder 4 of the receptacle tohold the closure in sealing position.

The inturned marginal annular portion of the skirt l3 for engaging the shoulder 4 may consist of one or more fingers as -2B formed by scalloping the lower annular portion of the material of the skirt, if desired, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or it may consist of an unscalloped or solid continuous portion as indicated at 2| in Fig. 6, or it may consist of a continuous portion formed with a series of openings as 22-22 therethrough as indicated in Fig. 7.

Where fingers 20 are employed there may be as many thereof as desired dependent upon the stiffness of the material and the strength of the grip required of said fingers upon the shoulder 4. It is intended that in use a rotary movement of the closure to unscrew the closure from the receptacle shall generate an upward force of the closure with respect to the receptacle sufiicient to bend the fingers outwardly enough to release their engagement with the shoulder 4, and hence it will be apparent that the strength of the interengaging thread portions 1 and 8 of the receptacle closure should be relatively greater than the strength of the grip between the fingers 28 and the shoulder 4. One or two fingers may be sufiicient in some cases or if each finger be made sufiiciently narrow and weak then there may be a considerably larger number employed. Questions of manufacture and appearance will be generally controlling in this connection.

Where a continuous portion is employed with openings as 22 therein said openings may be of such size and may extend into such close proximity to the extreme. lower edge of the metal as to leave only very weak sections as 23-23 of the metal between them and the extreme edge so that the upward pull of the closure when being unscrewed as'above mentioned will suffice to break said sections and thus enable removal of the closure, the portions of the metal between the breaks constituting fingers to substantially the same effect as the fingers 20 Fig. 1.

In some instances the openings 22 may be adapted to have. the point of a fork or other suitable tool as indicated at 24 inserted thereinto so as to manually break the weakened sections 23.

Where a continuous unscalloped portion as 2! is employed said un'scalloped portion may, if the metal be sufficiently thin, be weak enoughto give way or bend outwardly from engagement with the shoulder 4 when the closure is being unscrewed, and in this connection it is here specifically noted that the shell member, being an entirely different piece of metal from the cap member and being in supported contact with the cap member and with the receptacle throughout substantially its entire area, may be of a much thinner or weaker material than the metal forming the cap member. Likewise, the cap member may be of any desired thickness and strength to provide the requisite strength particularly in its threaded portion 8 to stand against objectionable deformation under heavy strains which may be applied thereto in unscrewing the closure from the receptacle.

It is also noted that the relatively vertical corrugations of the semi-circular rib l5, and the engagement of the shoulder portion W of said rib against the shoulder 9 of the cap member so stiffens the shell member at the upper margin of the conical surface of its skirt as to enable the use of a very thin sheet metal in the manufacture of the shell member.

If desired an annular tear-out strip as 25 may be provided in the conical portion of the shell member, as illustrated in Fig. 6, so that by tearing-out said strip the portion of the closure thereabove will be free for removal and reuse. Spaced score lines as tit-6 may define the strip 25, and an opening as El may be provided at a suitable locality to define the ends of the strip and to provide for the entrance of a tool of suitable shape, such as that suggested at 24 in Fig. '7, to begin the tearing out operation of said strip.

As an additional means for holding the shell and cap members against inter-rotation said members may be formed with mating vertical corrugations, the corrugations oi the cap member providing a series of outstanding vertical rib portions as 28 upon the cap member preferably in the upper annular marginal portion thereof, and the corrugations of the shell member providing a series of vertical channels as 23 interiorly of the shell member in the region above the rib I5.

When the cap member is moved into the shell member the ribs 28 slide upwardly along and into the channels 29 and lock the two members together against inter-rotation so long as they remain nested.

The. corrugations of the cap member also provide an interior corrugated surface with which the gasket member as 39 may engage to assist in holding the gasket against displacement, and the corrugations of the shell member provide an attractively fluted exterior surface for the upper portion of the shell member.

The lower end portions of the corrugations of the shell member rest upon and merge into and form parts of the shoulder M of the shell member and thereby constitute re-inforcing means adding greatly to the strength of said shoulder portion I4.

Where the inter-engaging ribs and corrugations 28-29 are employed then the lugs and seats H-lii heretofore referred to may in some cases be omitted, but it is usually desirable to provide both of these features since each supplements the other both mechanically and ornamentally in use.

In a completed closure as thus described the annular rib appearing thereon is of double thickness metal, and it may also be corrugated if desired in both of its thicknesses or only in its outer thickness. Thus said rib, and particularly portion it thereof, provides an ideal shoulder or ledge to be engaged by a tool in applying the requisite downward pressure of the closure intosealing engagement with the upper annular edge of the receptacle prior to the bending in of the lower margin of the closure about the shoulder l. Force applied downwardly against the ledge M is transmitted upwardly as a tension strain drawing downwardly the top walls of the two closure members.

Engagement of the lower annular portion of the rib, as at It, against the receptacle prevents any downward and inward swinging movement of the rib when this pressure is applied.

The conical surface 3 of the receptacle is par ticularly useful as an admirable surface for engagement by the lower annular marginal portion of the shell member when the closure is being applied to the recepacle in re-use. At this time the extreme lower edge portion of the shell mem ber, whether formed with the fingers 2i] or otherwise, may be turned inwardly to some extent since when the fingers were forced outwardly at the time of forced removal of the closure, as above described, the inherent fiexibility of the metal induced them to return partially toward their original bent condition. In this case the fingers, when the closure is being returned in reuse, slide downwardly along the smooth conical surface of the receptacle and are thereby readily bent again outwardly to pass the point of greatest diameter of the receptacle and snap into position beneath the shoulder 4.

It is intended that the diameter of that portion of the conical surface 3 of the receptacle with which the lower annular portion of the shell member engages just after the threads 8 of the cap member have caught upon the threads of the receptacle shall be such with respect to the diame ter of the lower annular portion of the shell member as to permit the threads to have a good screw engagement by the time the lower annular portion of the shell member comes tightly against the conical surface 3, thereby enabling the operator to complete the downward and spreading move ment of the fingers as the result of screw movement of the closure onto the receptacle, and thus relieving the operator of the necessity for applying any direct manual downward pressure against the closure to spread the fingers toward the shoulder 4.

In instances where the tear-off strip 25 is used, so that no upward force need be generated, as by threads 8, for loosening the skirt of the shell member from the shoulder l, then the cap member may if desired be formed without threads, the cap member in that case serving merely as a re-inforcement for the material of the upper portion of the shell member and the closure holding its position upon the receptacle in -re-use merely by its own weight or by friction against the smooth walls of the closure.

Where the fingers 2B, or their equivalent, are used they serve, by reason of their resilient grip beneath the shoulder 4, to hold the closure member against accidental unscrewing from the re ceptacle during re-use.

The method proposed for assembling the cap and shell members in immovable relation consists in the steps illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, namely of providing the shell member with the annular seat forming rib portion 36 of substan tially the cross sectional curvature desired in the finished closure, inserting the cap member into the shell member with the lower annular portion of the cap member presented to said seat, Fig. 8, then pressing outwardly said lower annular portion of the cap member to fit snugly within said seat, Fig. 9, so as to provide shoulder portions engaging between the walls of said seat and said pressed portions of the cap member cooperative to hold the cap member against movement in both directions longitudinally within the shell member, and. at the same time or thereafter providing interlocking lug and seat connection between portions of said rib and the pressed portion of the cap member effective to lock the cap and shell members against inter-rotation, Fig. 10.

It is proposed that the interlocking lug and seat connection between the rib and the pressed portion of the cap member shall preferably be affected by the application of pressure against one of said members so as to bend said member to form the lug thereon pressing against the other member and thereby correspondingly bending said other member to form the seat therein receiving the lug, as by this means the inherent elasticity of the metal induces the production of a lug which is slightly too large for the seat which it forms, and the result is that the walls of the seat always maintain a very powerful resilient grip upon the lug.

In practice the lug is preferably provided upon the cap member and the seat is provided in the rib of the shell member, the lug forming pressure being exerted against the inner surface of the cap member to further stretch out a portion of the already stretched metal of the cap member and to similarly further stretch out portions of the already stretched metal comprising the rib of the shell member.

The direct application of pressure against the metal of the cap member causes the metal constituting the lug thus formed to be more sharply bent, and thus more permanent in its final form, than is the metal of the shell member which constitutes the seat fitting around the lug, this due principally to the relatively shorter radii of the curvatures of bend of the lug forming portions.

It is proposed further that if desired the shell and cap members, prior to the nesting of the cap member into the shell member, may have -01)- er'ative annular shoulder portions as 32 and 33 to bump together for determining the position of the cap member longitudinally within the shell member, and that the step of pressing outwardly the lower annular portion of the cap member to fill the seat of the shell member as above men tioned may include such an outward pressing of the cap member as will cause a slight radial enlargement of the seat of the shell member and of the shoulder forming portion 32 of said shell member. Both of these enlarging operations will include substantially only a stretching of the metal of the shell member to or only slightly beyond its limit of elasticity and will consequently result in a very powerful frictional grip of the portions of the shell member against the contacting portions of the cap member.

The operation of flaring the lug and seat to hold the members against relative rotation may be reversed if desired, that is the lug may be formed as an impressed portion of the material of the rib iii of the shell member and the lug receiving seat may be formed by pressing in a portion of the outstretched part of the cap member by the lug. The functional result will be substantially the same as above referred to with regard to the tight grip of the lug within its seat.

Or, where a plurality of lugs and seats are present, as where the parts are continuously corrugated, as shown, then both the lugs and the seats may be produced by partly pressing in and partly pressing out the wall parts concerned, the functional result as to the tightness of fit of the lugs within the seats being again the same owing to the fact that the seats are always formed by pressure from the lugs and both are formed in the already stretched metal of the two members.

The novel form of receptacle illustrated is important particularly since it provides two vertically spaced regions for fixture, as the threads I and the shoulder l, between the closure and the receptacle, also an inclined surface, as 3, leading to one of said regions, as l, adapted to lead a holding part, as 26, of the receptacle thereto after the receptacle has come into operative connection with the other region.

The threaded upper portion of the receptacle is of smaller diameter than the smaller upper end of the tapered portion 3, and it is also smaller than the portion forming the shoulder 4, and this is important since it enables the unhindered downward telescoping of the lower portion of the closure over the threads and into engagement with the tape-red surface by the time the threads of the closure come into co-operative engagement with the threads of the receptacle, thereby enabling the threads to function in moving the closure home.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A receptacle closure consisting of a cap member and a shell member, each of said members having a top wall portion formed with a marginal skirt thereon, the cap member being nested within the shell member and its skirt being shorter than the skirt of the shell member, the lower portion of the skirt of the cap member being fixed to the skirt of the shell member at a point intermediate the length of the skirt of the shell member, the portion of the cap member above its region of fixture to the shell member having holding means for engaging a receptacle to hold the closure on the receptacle, and the portion of the skirt of the shell member below said region of fixture also having holding means to engage the receptacle for holding the closure onto the receptacle.

2. A receptacle closure consisting of a cap member and a shell member, each of said members having a top wall portion formed with a marginal skirt thereon, the cap member being nested within the shell member and its skirt being shorter than the skirt of the shell member, the lower portion of the skirt of the cap member having an outstanding annular rib thereon and the skirt of the shell member at a point intermediate the length thereof having an annular seat interiorly thereof within which said rib tightly engages to fix the two members against relatively longitudinal movement, said rib and said seat having lug and seat means inter-engaging therebetween to lock the two members against relative rotary movement, the portion of the cap member above its region of fixture with the shell member having holding means for engaging a receptacle to hold the closure onto the receptacle, and the portion of the skirt of the shell member below said region of fixture also having holding means to engage the receptacle for holding the closure onto the receptacle.

3. A receptacle closure consisting of a cap member and a shell member, each of said members having a top wall portion formed with a marginal skirt thereon, the cap member being nested within the shell member and its skirt being shorter than the skirt of the shell member, the lower portion of the skirt of the cap member being fixed to the skirt of the shell member at a point intermediate the length of the skirt of the shell member, the portion of the cap member above its region of fixture to the shell member being formed with threads therein for engaging the receptacle, the portion of the cap member above said threads being formed with a series of lugs projecting radially outwardly thereof, the portion of the skirt of the shell member above said point of fixture being vertically corrugated and resting in engagement with the threaded releasably engage a shoulder of the receptacle.

4. A receptacle closure consisting of a cap member and a shell member, each of said members having a top wall portion formed with a marginal skirt thereon, the cap member being nested within the shell member and its skirt being shorter than the skirt of the shell member, the lower portion of the skirt of the cap member having an outstanding annular rib thereon and the skirt of the shell member at a point intermediatethe length thereof having an annular seat interiorly thereof within which said rib tightly engages to fix the two members against relatively longitudinal movement, the material forming said rib and said seat being vertically corrugated in mating relation thereby locking the two members against relative rotary movement, the portion of the skirt of the cap member above its region of fixture with the shell member being formed with threads therein for engaging the receptacle, another portion of the skirt of the cap member above said region of fixture standing in engagement with an adjacent portion of the skirt of the shell member and said two engaging skirt portions being vertically corrugated in mating relation thereby further locking the two members against relative rotary movement, and the portion of the skirt of the shell member below said region of fixture having closure holding means thereon to engage the receptacle.

5. A receptacle closure consisting of a cap member and a shell member, each of said members having a top wall portion formed with a marginal skirt thereon, the cap member being nested within the shell member and its skirt being shorter than the skirt of the shell member, the lower portion of the skirt of the cap member being fixed to the skirt of the shell member at a point intermediate the length of the skirt of the shell member, the portion of the cap member above its region of fixture to the shell member having holding means for engaging a receptacle to hold the closure on the receptacle, and the portion of the skirt of the shell member below said region of fixture also having holding means to engage the receptacle for holding the closure onto the receptacle and being formed with an annular tear-out strip by which said last holding means may be severed from the remainder of said skirt portion.

6. A receptacle closure consisting of a cap member and a shell member, each of said members having a top wall portion formed with a marginal skirt thereon, the cap member being nested within the shell member and its skirt being shorter than the skirt of the shell member, the lower portion of the skirt of the cap member being fixed to the skirt of the shell member at a point intermediate the length of the skirt of the shell member, the portion of the cap member above its region of fixture to the shell member having holding means of a character co-operative with a receptacle to enable forced removal of the closure from the receptacle, and the portion of the skirt of the shell member below said region of. fixture having its lower annular marginal portacle, said skirt in its upper portion having threads to engage threads of the receptacle for screw application and removal of the closure, and said skirt at its lower margin being formed with a plurality of separate downwardly extending fingers spaced apart thereon circumferentially thereof adapted for engagement beneath a shoulder of the receptacle but being bendable to yield out of engagement with the receptacle shoulder incident to force generated by use of the threads. 10

AUGUSTUS L. MEROLLE'. 

